Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 3
Gadāyuddhe Kṛṣṇopadeśaḥ (Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel in the Mace-Duel) — Śalya-parva 57
अभवच्च तयोरय॑द्ध॑ तुमुलं लोमहर्षणम् । जिगीषतोर्यथान्योन्यमिन्द्रप्रह्मादयोरिव
abhavac ca tayor yuddhaṁ tumulaṁ lomaharṣaṇam | jigīṣator yathānyonyam indra-prahlādayor iva ||
Sañjaya said: Then, between those two—each intent on conquering the other—there arose a tumultuous, hair-raising battle, like the dreadful clash of Indra and Prahlāda. The scene underscores how the thirst for victory can turn combat into a terrifying spectacle, overwhelming all restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the single-minded urge to defeat an opponent (jigīṣā) intensifies conflict into a frightening, uncontrolled force. It implicitly warns that victory-seeking, when unchecked by dharma and restraint, magnifies suffering and turns battle into a spectacle of terror.
Sañjaya describes the fight between the two champions reaching a peak: their mutual desire to win produces a roaring, hair-raising combat, compared to a mythic clash involving Indra and Prahlāda—signaling the ferocity and high stakes of the duel.
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